1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to motor vehicles, and more particularly to a bed divider apparatus for positionally restraining and moving a load within a truck bed.
2. Background and Description of Prior Art
Motor vehicles such as pickup trucks and some trailers have a bed for carrying loads of various sizes and shapes.
Typically, a truck bed is little more than a rectilinear open top volume with a few tie-down points spacedly arrayed along the perimeter of interior walls or along a bed rail. In some instances truck beds may be converted into trailers. The term “truck bed” is used generically herein to include cargo areas of powered vehicles as well as trailers
Unsecured loads and various cargo items including partial loads may move about a truck bed due to forces generated by turning, accelerating, stopping and driving over bumpy terrain. For that reason it is desirable to restrain such loads from movement within the truck bed so that the loads do not move or slide around within the truck bed during use of the vehicle.
Truck bed dividers are used to secure and organize loads within a truck bed and to restrain undesirable movement of such loads in forward and rearward directions. Such dividers generally comprise an elongate element attached to each inner side of the truck bed. A transversely extending divider gate communicates between the elongate elements. Manual fastening means at each end portion of the divider gate, such as hand tightened squeeze clamps allow the divider gate to be positionally secured.
Known truck bed dividers, while useful, continue to have drawbacks because they require that a user have ready access to both end portions of the divider gate to secure the gate in position. Frequently, this requires a user to climb into the truck bed to loosen and thereafter tighten the fastening means. Although this may not be difficult for persons of average health and mobility, it can be difficult, and perhaps impossible, for a person having limited mobility, or when the truck bed is enclosed with a canopy or tonneau cover. Further, known divider gates typically require the gate be secured in position prior to the truck bed being loaded with gear, equipment, cargo and the like. Moving or adjusting the position of the divider gate after the truck bed has been loaded therefore requires the user to either unload the gear, equipment and cargo or crawl over the load to make the adjustment. As noted previously, this can be difficult if not impossible for many persons who use and operate pickup trucks.
What is needed is a truck bed divider that is infinitely adjustable within the truck bed to prevent undesirable movement of loads, cargo and articles of varying shapes and sizes. Even more particularly, what is needed is a truck bed divider that can be used to assist in loading and unloading a truck bed and can be quickly and easily moved out of the way to allow large items, such as an all-terrain vehicle, or a motorcycle, to be loaded and carried within the truck bed without interference from the truck bed divider. Further what is needed is a truck bed divider that can be used with a truck bed that is enclosed by a canopy or tonneau cover and does not require a user to climb into the truck bed, or have access to both ends of the gate over the truck bed sides. Further what is needed is a truck bed divider that allows positional adjustment of the divider after the load has been placed in the truck bed.
My invention overcomes various of the aforementioned drawbacks to known truck bed dividers by providing an infinitely adjustable load securing and moving apparatus for a truck bed.
My load securing and moving apparatus for a truck bed provides a gate that is infinitely adjustably movable longitudinally within the truck bed on roller chains carried by sprockets within medial channels of slide rails mounted on opposing inner side portions of the truck bed. A drive shaft adjacent forward end portion of the truck bed communicates between a sprocket carried by a first slide rail and a sprocket carried by a second slide rail and transfers rotational motion therebetween. Sliding gate blocks communicate with the roller chain and are slidably carried on each slide rail for longitudinal movement therealong responsive to translational movement of the interconnected roller chain. The gate removably extends between the two spaced apart sliding gate blocks.
A hand crank releasably engaged with a sprocket proximate tailgate end portion of slide rail allows a user to manually rotate the sprocket and impart translational movement to the roller chain, sliding gate blocks and gate. A T-gate releasably interconnects with the transversely extending gate either forwardly or rearwardly thereof, and is movable perpendicularly relative to the gate allowing loads to be secured from side to side movement with the truck bed.
My invention may also be used to facilitate unloading a truck bed. Rotation of the hand crank causes the gate to move rearwardly within the truck bed forcing loads rearward of the gate to slide rearwardly along the truck bed bottom toward the tailgate so that the load may be removed from the truck bed without the user needing to climb into the truck bed. Similarly, my invention can be moved rearwardly and forwardly after equipment, gear, cargo and the like has been loaded in the truck bed to secure the loaded items between the transverse gate and the tailgate, or between the transverse gate and the forward truck bed wall.
My invention does not reside in any one of the identified features individually but rather in the synergistic combination of all of its structures, which give rise to the functions necessarily flowing therefrom as hereinafter specified and claimed.